General Information

Learning the laws regulating the use of firearms is a must for responsible ownership. Local regulations differ and laws vary from state to state. Citizens must check with the jurisdiction where the gun is to be used.

Generally, laws require the following:

Permits to buy handguns in North Carolina must be obtained from the sheriff in the county that you reside. In Stanly County it is the Sheriff's Office. The Cost is $5.00.

Gun purchase permit applications must be completed online and will be processed on normal business days (Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM). Click the "Let's get Started" button to apply for a permit.

Gaining competency with firearms is like learning to drive a car or fly an airplane. You need expert instruction and practice. There is no shortcut. If you are not willing to invest the time and effort to become competent, then having a firearm and trying to use it can, in many instances, be more hazardous than any impending threat.

Effective December 1, 2015

North Carolina General Statute 14-404(e1) requires applicants to sign a release of court orders concerning mental health and capacity for pistol purchase permits.

After completing the online portion of the application, you MUST come in to the Sheriff’s Office within five (5) business days to complete or provide this release.

Your application process will not begin until this final step has been completed.

Handgun Purchase Permit Requirements: must meet ALL requirements

eighteen to twenty (18-20) year olds can apply for a restricted permit;

have attained at least one month's residency in Stanly County;

at the time of your appointment, provide a valid driver's license or other picture ID with current address provided by the State of North Carolina.

Please note that as part of the application process, you will authorize the Stanly County Clerk of Superior Court to inform the Sheriff of Stanly County whether or not the clerks’ records contain the record of any involuntary mental commitment proceeding under Article 5 of Chapter 122C of the General Statutes in which you have been named as a respondent. The purpose of this release is to enable the Sheriff to determine your qualification and competence to purchase and handle a handgun.

The Stanly County Sheriff’s Office offers this online service as a convenience to the community. In addition to the per permit fee of $5, the system will charge a per transaction fee for the convenience of applying and paying for your permits online. The convenience fee is not collected by the Sheriff. This fee is paid to the company that provides this order, payment and processing system to the public. You do have the option of applying and paying via cash in person at the Sheriff’s office. By doing so, you will not be charged the convenience fee.

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NC General Statute 14-315.1: Storage of firearms to protect minors

(a) Any person who resides in the same premises as a minor, owns or possesses a firearm, and stores or leaves the firearm (i) in a condition that the firearm can be discharged and (ii) in a manner that the person knew or should have known that an unsupervised minor would be able to gain access to the firearm, is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor if a minor gains access to the firearm without the lawful permission of the minor's parents or a person having charge of the minor and the minor:

Possesses it in violation of G.S. 14-269.2(b);

Exhibits it in a public place in a careless, angry, or threatening manner;

Causes personal injury or death with it not in self defense; or

Uses it in the commission of a crime.

(b) Nothing in this section shall prohibit a person from carrying a firearm on his or her body, or placed in such close proximity that it can be used as easily and quickly as if carried on the body.

(c) This section shall not apply if the minor obtained the firearm as a result of an unlawful entry by any person.

(d) "Minor" as used in this section means a person under 18 years of age who is not emancipated. (1993, c. 558, s. 2; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 14, s. 11.)

GUN SAFETY TIPS FOR PARENTS

If you keep a handgun in your home, always keep it unloaded and locked up!

Always lock and store bullets separately from your gun. Young children can figure out how to load a gun.

Keep a gun lock on your gun after it is unloaded. [Gun locks are excellent devices when used in combination with other safety habits. Gun locks can provide a false sense of security. All it takes is forgetting to lock a gun just one time. Or leaving the key where a child can find it. Always be diligent when using a gun lock. Always double check to make sure that it is locked at all times.

Make sure children don't have access to the keys to gun locks and gun and ammunition storage areas.

Even if you don't own a gun, talk with your children about the danger of guns and what to do if they find one while playing or at a friend's house.

Explain to your children that guns are dangerous and that they should never touch them.